Author Archives: MABA BODs

• BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 5, 2025

  August 4, 2025 11:21 pm Comments Off on BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 5, 2025

  Mid Atlantic Barbecue Association

  Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting

  February 5, 2025

  Board Members Present

  Andrew Darneille                   President

  Lee Evans                               Vice President

  Samantha Adams                    Treasurer

  Lisa Dommes                         Secretary

  Bill DeHoff

  Grace Moore

  Andrea Menke

  Shannon Turner

  Board Members Absent

  Henry Jones

  Others Present

  Bill Jones

  Frank Krause

  Call to Order

  Andrew Darneille called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m., noting the presence of a quorum.

  Approval of Minutes

  The January 2025 meeting minutes were unavailable.

  Committee Reports and Action Item Discussion

  • Membership Committee – Mark Kenney is not able to provide automated ToY points tracking for Backyard or Steak, so these will still need to be calculated manually. Joe Rouse will take over Backyard tracking from David Dick, and Grace Moore will take over Steak tracking from Stephanie West.

  The Board discussed a proposal from a member that Backyard Overall ToY points be awarded based on chicken and ribs only, even if the contest organizer wishes to include a pork ancillary in the overall standings for the contest. This will align with KCBS rules.

  Andrew Darneille moved to only recognize chicken and ribs points toward the Backyard Overall standings at all contests, even if the organizer chooses to include pork or other ancillary categories in the Overall points, to align with KCBS rules beginning with the 2025 season. Lee Evans seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

  The Board discussed how a Kids Que ToY might be implemented, how membership requirements will be addressed, and how it will be funded.

  • Banquet Committee – The Board discussed donations for the Banquet raffles. Additional posts will be made to social media regarding the banquet and social events. It has been difficult finding venues large enough to accommodate our group, especially since it is Annapolis Restaurant Week. The Board members will continue to seek donations and table sponsorships.

  • Publications Committee – The Board discussed starting a podcast. A member requested that the Board utilize email more, in addition to social media, for those who are not on social media.  

  • Website/Technology Committee – Updates are needed. Samantha Adams will begin helping with that work.

  •  Finance Committee – Financial reports were reviewed.

  • Nominations Committee – No report until later in the year.

  • Bylaws Committee – The Bylaws need to be updated to reflect new membership classes and any other recent changes.

  Unfinished Business

  No items were discussed.

  New Business

  Rookie Team of the Year: The Board reviewed applications from Buckeye Blue Smoke (declined-too many previous Master Series contests) and Weber’s Backyard BBQ (Approved) for RTOY eligibility.

  Adjournment

  The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.

  Respectfully submitted,

  Lisa Dommes

• BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES JANUARY 7, 2025

  11:14 pm Comments Off on BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES JANUARY 7, 2025

  MINUTES IN ITALICS WITHIN EACH AGENDA ITEM

  Mid Atlantic Barbecue Association Board of Directors Meeting

  Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom

  1. Confirmation of Quorum, Call to Order

  Attending: Lisa, Bill J, Shannon, Henry, Samantha, Bill D., Drew, Andrea, Grace, Lee

  1. Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes (December 2024)

  1. New Business
     1. Election of Officers – voted on by the existing and new directors, all votes uncontested and unanimous
        1. President – Drew Darneille
        1. Vice President – Lee Evans
        1. Secretary – Lisa Dommes
        1. Treasurer – Samantha Adams

  • Renewal of BBQData subscription for 2025. Backyard tracking? SCA?
    • Completed by Bill J.; Lisa to contact for Backyard

  • Need to Audit ToY Points and put out final call for points disputes
    • RTOY Winner: Hot Mess BBQ
    • Audit still required

  • Rookie ToY Applications
    • Dog Bite Barbecue

  • Request from NEBS/Kathy Trainor to establish Kids Que ToY

  Voted in December Meeting to approve. Unsure of number of Kids Q events in 2024. Will require manual tracking as not KCBS.

  • State Cup Selections – Polls to be posted to Facebook Board group, need to decide before banquet so they can be announced
    • North Carolina: Eastern Carolina BBQ Throwdown 10/25
    • West Virginia: Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 6/14
    • Virginia: Chillin and Grillin in the Glades (Wise) 7/19
    • New Jersey: New Jersey KnoQ-out – 5/3 or 4 at Organizer discretion
    • Delaware: First State BBQ Bash 9/28
    • Maryland: MD State BBQ Bash, 10/11 (Belair)
    • New York: Grand American Barbeque (open)
    • Pennsylvania: Twin Valley Day 1 or 2 at Organizer discretion

  Motion to approve all contests above: 1. Lisa 2. Sam unanimous approval

  1. Unfinished Business
     1. Banquet:
        1. Must finalize the contract.
           1. Signed contract and 20% deposit due now.
           1. Final head count and final payment due at least 7 days before event (2/14 at latest).
           1. Liquor license must be obtained at least 10 days before event (2/11 at latest).
        1. Hotel block

  Confirming Hampton Inn Annapolis

  • Social events Friday and Saturday nights.

  Banquet 12-5

  Nothing confirmed at this time for Friday or Saturday – targeting adults FR and family on SA

  • Trophies and payouts.

  Samantha (new treasurer) to order the trophies – A1 trophies, same pricing as last year Motion to approve: 1. Lisa 2. Henry unanimous approval

  • Need to approach contest organizers, table sponsors, other donations.

  Making Progress, still looking for additional

  Shannon still pursuing contests for raffles, Steak in particular missing contact information.

  • Annual Planning Calendar – donor outreach
  • Committee Reports and Action Item Discussion
    • Appointing Committee Chairs and Seeking Volunteers
    • Sponsorship Committee – 2025 Sponsorship Outreach
      • Oklahoma Joe’s may be back on board for smoker donations for banquet
      • Grants for next year
      • ToY sponsorships

  • State-level Soy Boards

  Drew will participate, but still looking for a chair – Drew to connect with Travis Murphy for potential interest

  Lee, member Henry, member

  A lengthy discussion was held about sponsorship opportunities and ways to better recognize / promote sponsors. Lisa will add the above to the sponsorship page on FB.

  • Membership Committee
    • Membership is down 17% from last year
    • Steak and Backyard ToY points tracking charts need to be updated. Who will be taking this over?

  Lee Evans volunteered to chair membership

  Grace will take over Steak and Backyard TOY points tracking

  • Publications Committee
    • Need help with contest shoutouts for steak and bbq
    • Need help maintaining events calendar
    • Social media posts/live posts/steak

  Grace to chair and lead social media

  • Website/Technology Committee

  Lisa Dommes, Chair Henry Jones, member Samantha, member

  • Finance Committee Samantha Adams, treasurer Bill Jones, member

  Bill DeHoff, member Lee Evans, member

  • Banquet Committee

  Bill DeHoff, chair

  • Bylaws Committee (fyi based in PA) Lisa Dommes, Secretary

  1. Strategic Planning

  Lee Evans, VP
  Frank Krause, Member

  • Nominations Committee

  Drew, chair (outgoing president)

  • Adjournment

  Prior to adjournment, discussed Board meeting days and times. Board agreed to 1st Wednesday of the month at 7PM.

  Minutes taken by Frank Krause, Secretary, MABA

• BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES MAY 2, 2023

  July 10, 2023 12:53 am Comments Off on BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES MAY 2, 2023

  Board Members Present

  Travis Murphy President
  Vacant Vice President
  Bill Jones Treasurer
  Shannon Turner Secretary
  David Dick
  Theresa Bell

  Board Members Absent

  George DeMartz
  Andrew Shaffer
  Dave Travis
  Frank Krause
  Lisa Dommes Past President

  IX. Confirmation of Quorum, Call to Order – 7:10pm

  X. Reading of Mission Statement
  A. The Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association (MABA) is a social organization representing BBQ competitors, backyard cooks, BBQ judges and others united by love of America’s cuisine-BBQ! MABA provides information to its members about BBQ and the BBQ industry, facilitates social events and contests and serves as the vehicle for camaraderie amongst BBQ enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region.

  XI. Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes (April 5, 2023)

  Motion raised by David Dick, seconded by Frank Krause

  XII. Unfinished Business

  A. Budget Discussion: Financial update was provided Mon., May 1 by Bill Jones

  B. Order business cards (Vistaprint), stickers (Sticker Mule) or fliers to hand out at contests/cook’s meetings, introducing MABA programs: Will watch for specials for stickers so we can purchase by 2024 banquet. Looking to purchase ‘350’ 3″x3″ stickers for backyard. KCBS will continue to provide the ‘180’ and ‘700’ stickers. David Dick created flyers so don’t see need to purchase business cards at this time. ACTION: Flyer file is on BOD page so flyers can be printed by any BOD members as needed.

  C. Order any flags, banners, etc. to be used by Board at contests to publicize MABA. Can we get flags available for members via
  bonfire? ACTION: David Dick will check Bonfire to see if they offer flags and if not, will explore other options. One-sided flags.

  D. Backyard 350 Sticker- KCBS doesn’t want to pursue
  a) MABA Specific 700+, 180 and 350+ stickers?
  b) Have we decided how to distribute these?
  c) Have they been ordered through sticker mule

  E. 2023 Budget Finalization

  XIII. New Business

  A. Vote for election of President: Frank Krause nominated Travis Murphy; Theresa Bell seconded; all agreed. Travis Murphy will serve the remainder of George’s term.

  B. Election for new V.P. or office if needed: Frank Krause nominated himself; seconded by Bill Jones; David Dick nominated himself; Frank Krause seconded; Shannon Turner nominated herself; Theresa Bell seconded; Vote by email by ranking; ACTION: Bill Jones and Travis Murphy will send email out and tabulate results.

  XIV. Committee Reports and Action Item Discussion
  A. Membership Committee – Live Meeting Agenda: Will meet in May

  1. How are we looking with new members -241 current, up from 220(up 9.5%)
  2. Are we retaining previous members? For those that have not renewed each month, each BOD member can share names and contact them directly to ask if they will renew and if not, why.
  3. Upcoming socials or events? Two social events were held at the Williamsburg contest; judges are attending providing opportunities for judges to socialize with teams.
     B. Publications Committee – Travis Murphy: Update was sent on Monday, May 1.
  4. Data is trending
  5. A lot of content being pushed – all shout outs have been made with the exception of the past weekend which will be done soon.
  6. 1st Quarter Newsletter was sent out
     C. Website/Technology Committee – David Dick
  7. Need to verify events calendar: ACTION: update events
  8. Need to get Master and Steak TOY standings finalized, updated, and published: Master standings have been updated; the Ironman and Currituck is missing but will be added on soon
  9. Need to get the RTOY updated with standings
  10. Will need to update the MABA Team page: David Dick does not have edit privileges on the website; ACTION: Travis Murphy will meet with David Dick and Lisa Dommes to update privileges
      D. Finance Committee – Bill
  11. Are we on track and where we need to be? We are on positive for income – a bit higher than last year; expenses are about the same as last year
  12. Need to look into BBQ News e-letter to see if we in fact need it and if so, if we can run ads or articles for MABA: Should we provide an article or something to get exposure for MABA; Bill Jones sent email on Monday, May 1 and is waiting for a response.
      E. Bylaws/Rules Committee – Frank Krause
  13. Need to begin working on a standard/rubrick for selecting State Cups: ACTION: Need to come up with criteria for selection for a State Cup
  14. Need to decide if we still want a minimum state representation from states going forward, or include all states, regardless of number of teams.
      a) ACTION: Look into wording and rules regarding this for MABA State Cups; would not be appropriate to include in bylaws but could be added as a rule. Should also consider that the current rule already stipulates that we have options in selecting the states for the MABA Cup. If we change the rules, may consider including all states.

  F. Strategic Planning – Travis Murphy

  1. Working with other committees for the strategic plan
  2. Percentage of addition of members is on track
     G. Banquet Committee – Lisa Dommes: Will discuss in June
  3. Have a list of possible locations
     a) Need to begin inquiring about pricing and what’s included
     b) Two locations suggested in Maryland as well as N.
     Virginia
     c) Heat map can be created by Frank Krause to show where all members live to justify location of banquet
     d) We should rotate locations of the banquet
     H. Sponsorship Committee – Travis Murphy
  4. Still need to touch base with B&B
  5. Still need to touch base with The Butcher Shoppe
  6. Springer Mountain is going through a major rebrand so can not commit to being the chicken sponsor this year, but said its a strong possibility next year after the relaunch
     I. Nominations Committee – TBD
     
     XV. Any other Business to discuss
     
     XVI. Adjournment – 8:13pm

• BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 7, 2022

  January 5, 2023 8:53 pm Comments Off on BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 7, 2022

  Board Members Present

  George DeMartz                     President

  Greg Boggs                             Vice President

  Bill Jones                                Treasurer

  Dave Travis

  Travis Murphy

  Chris Schriver

  Norris “Syd” Sydnor

  Theresa Bell

  Lisa Dommes                          Past President

  Board Members Absent

  Shannon Turner                       Secretary

  Call to Order

  George DeMartz called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m., noting the presence of a quorum.

  Reading of Mission Statement

  The Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association (MABA) is a social organization representing BBQ competitors, backyard cooks, BBQ judges and others united by love of America’s cuisine–BBQ! 

  MABA provides information to its members about BBQ and the BBQ industry, facilitates social events and contests and serves as the vehicle for camaraderie amongst BBQ enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region.

  George DeMartz read the Mission Statement.

  Approval of Minutes

  Travis Murphy moved to approve the minutes of the November 2, 2022 Board Meeting as presented. Theresa Bell seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

  Committee Reports and Action Item Discussion

  1. Publications Committee – Chris Schriver provided an update on social media activity.
  2. Website/Technology Committee – Chris Schriver reported on recent website updates. Additional members-only pages have been added to the website, and additional membership benefits will be added as they are finalized.
  3. Finance Committee – Bill Jones reviewed the October and November financial reports.
  4. Banquet Committee – Jon Wade and Mac Talber will be collaborating on the catering and menu. Donations will be sought for the contest raffle, cooker raffle and general raffle. Establishing sponsorship levels was discussed. Trophies will need to be ordered soon to ensure they are ready for the banquet.
  5. Nominations Committee – Lisa Dommes reported that the election is underway. Additional social media posts will be done near the middle of the election and near the end to prompt members to vote. To date, 33% of the membership has voted. Participation generally runs from 45-50% of the membership.
  6. Membership – Greg Boggs provided an update on the Bonfire spirit wear site. A link to the site has been added to the MABA website, for members only.

  Unfinished Business

  1. TOY Update – An audit of the TOY standings is underway, and adjustments are being made as necessary.

  New Business

  1. President’s Award – There was discussion about reviving the President’s Award, presented to an outstanding volunteer. Traditionally the Board President has selected the recipient. Some felt that nominations should be submitted by the membership.

  Adjournment

  The meeting adjourned at 8:58 p.m.

  Motion to adjourn:  Chris Schriver; Second: Bill Jones; motion passed unanimously

  Respectfully submitted,

  Lisa Dommes

• BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES NOVEMBER 2, 2022

  December 8, 2022 10:28 am Comments Off on BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES NOVEMBER 2, 2022

  Board Members Present

  George DeMartz                     President

  Shannon Turner                       Secretary

  Bill Jones                                Treasurer

  Travis Murphy

  Theresa Bell

  Chris Schriver

  Norris “Syd” Sydnor

  Lisa Dommes                          Past President

  Board Members Absent

  Dave Travis

  Greg Boggs                             Vice President

  Call to Order

  George DeMartz called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m., noting the presence of a quorum.

  Reading of Mission Statement

  The Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association (MABA) is a social organization representing BBQ competitors, backyard cooks, BBQ judges and others united by love of America’s cuisine–BBQ! 

  MABA provides information to its members about BBQ and the BBQ industry, facilitates social events and contests and serves as the vehicle for camaraderie amongst BBQ enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region.

  Shannon Turner read the Mission Statement.

  Approval of Minutes

  The minutes of the Sept. 14, 2022 and Oct. 5, 2002 Board Meeting were agreed. Motion to accept the minutes by Theresa Bell.  Motion seconded by Chris Schriver.  Motion passed unanimously.

  Unfinished Business

  • Knife for NY:  A new knife will be created and provided to Top Gun Barbeque
  • Bonfire Storefront (www.bonfire.com)

  • Bill will confirm with the PayPal account has been linked to Bonfire
  • will be launched via social media once everything is ready
  • BOD Discussion (VENUE):  Let’s plan for Feb. 18^th weekend

  • The Maine has been selected; George DeMartz motioned to approve The Maine as venue and accept Feb. 18 as the date for the banquet; Shannon Turner seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.
    1. Request for caterers need to be sent (Jon and Mac)         
    2. Guest ticket price should be determined once we receive the caterer numbers
    3. Give President’s Award to an outstanding volunteer who has provided support to MABA
    4. Trophies need to be quoted and ordered; Chris to reach out and request a quote from Steel Images; George DeMartz made a motion that once we receive the quote we agree to ordering via FB poll; Theresa Bell seconded the motion; motion passed unanimously
  • Solicitation of Contest donations – Greg Boggs is working on updating the spreadsheet and it should be available in a week; Greg will reach out to BOD members individually
  • 2022 Sponsorship outreach

  • Steak
  • Smithfield
  • Oklahoma Joes – Chiles is working on
  • B&B – 1,000 Commitment to our ToY programs
  • The Butcher Shoppe – Chiles is working on
  • ShoreSmoke Seasonings
  • Big Jim Hudgins
  • Mac Talbert – Discussion; George and Greg will meet with Mac;
  • GrillBillies BBQ sponsorship discussion
  • Cotton Gin smoker – will be donating a Harvester model (raffle); would like to be a business sponsor as well
  • UDS parts – sponsor top 3 in backyard; give custom build kit to top 3 winners; will only commit to 2022 but want 1^st priority for overall backyard for a 2 year commitment starting next year; will provide small items/door prizes, etc.; would like to be a business sponsor as well
  • Inkbird Thermometers: working with Travis on sponsorship; will provide small items for door prizes, etc.
  • PK Grill will be raffled off – Greg will bring to banquet
  • MABA Cup Rules Revision (date for teams to declare they are attending); use the letter explaining that they are part of the MABA Cup and have to accept the invitation by certain cutoff dates; will continue to have a 2 day total; Bill will send email to George/Chris and he will send to qualifying teams (Jan. 15 is early bird deadline for Urbanna)

  New Business

  1. Business member review / update on how we can steer members toward them; Chris would like to add a list of business members to website; Greg has provided the list to Chris; Chris will review the business member list and it is with website committee to deliver
  2. Clarification of Membership benefits:  Chris sent out a redline of what is on the website currently; Chris will make some updates and then provide to BOD for review
  3. Discussion on Call for Nominations: Lisa got the emails set up and social media has been updated; we have received some emails regarding nominations but no nominations received to date
  4. Dues Discussion – 2023: Greg has started reviewing the data of members and their types of memberships – tabled until new members join BOD
  5. Ask the members to double-check their ToY points to ensure their points have been captured accurately (sometimes names are spelled wrong and the points aren’t captured for that team); Dave Dick and Travis Murphy to work on this; recommend that members use the email link for questions around ToY points from the website

  Committee Reports and Action Item Discussion

  1. Membership Committee – Greg
     1. Backyard Subcommittee
     1. Steak Subcommittee
  2. Publications Committee – Chris; had our first downturn in social media followers this past month; dropped 40 followers last month 
  3. Website/Technology Committee – Chris; process started for notes for the website for a successor can use to maintain the website; getting the website caught up; has started adding classes to website; removing application process for Steak and Backyard; Memorial page added to website (under About MABA tab); there is now a page for member discounts on webpage
  4. Finance Committee – Bill
  5. Bylaws Committee – Greg
  6. Strategic Planning – Greg w/assistance from George (current Bylaws dictate this)
  7. Nominations Committee – Chris/Theresa

  Adjournment

  The meeting adjourned at 8:36 p.m.

  Motion to adjourn: Syd; Second: Travis Murphy; motion passed unanimously

• IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BACKYARD AND STEAK APPLICATION PROCESS

  November 7, 2022 3:59 pm Comments Off on IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BACKYARD AND STEAK APPLICATION PROCESS

  During the November meeting, the Board of Directors discussed and approved to remove the application process for Backyard team and Steak cooks.

  What

  The process for making sure a backyard team or steak cook is registered for the MABA team/cook of the year programs has been simplified. Teams or cooks no longer have to complete an application on the MABA website in order to express intent to compete in the respective backyard team of the year or steak cook of the year program.

  Note: Teams moving up from backyard to master series that wish to compete in the rookie team of the year program still have to complete the application to express their intent to compete for rookie team of the year.

  Why

  MABA has expanded the membership profile format to better capture demographics of our members in order to track who is competing in which series/program.

  When

  The new change is in effect at the release of this letter and applicable for the 2023 season starting November 1st, 2022 for BBQ teams and January 1st, 2023 for steak cooks.

  The MABA website is updated.

  Please log on and update your membership profile to ensure you are included in the appropriate points chases for 2023. Make your sure team name and individual name is the same as registered for the primary sanctioning organizations (KCBS & SCA) of the recognized MABA contests to which you compete.

  Thank you,
  The MABA Board of Directors

  

  

  

  

• BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 5, 2022

  10:49 am Comments Off on BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 5, 2022

  Board Members Present

  George DeMartz                     President

  Greg Boggs                             Vice President

  Shannon Turner                       Secretary

  Dave Travis

  Travis Murphy

  Theresa Bell

  Lisa Dommes                          Past President

  Board Members Absent

  Bill Jones                                Treasurer

  Norris “Syd” Sydnor

  Chris Schriver

  Call to Order

  George DeMartz called the meeting to order at 7:21 p.m., noting the presence of a quorum.

  Reading of Mission Statement

  The Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association (MABA) is a social organization representing BBQ competitors, backyard cooks, BBQ judges and others united by love of America’s cuisine–BBQ! 

  MABA provides information to its members about BBQ and the BBQ industry, facilitates social events and contests and serves as the vehicle for camaraderie amongst BBQ enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region.

  George DeMartz read the Mission Statement.

  Approval of Minutes

  The minutes of the Sept. 14, 2022 Board Meeting will be agreed during the Nov. meeting.

  Unfinished Business

  • 2023 MABA State Cup Championships

  • Primarily discussion surrounding NC and viability of Currituck:  Should consider the State Cup ‘year’ be the calendar year as opposed to the KCBS competition year; Finals would be at Urbanna the following year. 
  • Need (1) Knife for the New York State Cup: Lisa will contact the person about the knife for NY
  • BOD Discussion (VENUE):  Let’s plan for Feb. 18^th weekend

  • The Maine
  • Casino
  • Lodge in Manassas (Mac’s connection): Mac is going to provide pictures
  • Need to Vote/Discuss/Book a venue
  • Need to do a “lessons learned”
  • Solicitation of Contest donations.
  • Bonfire Storefront (www.bonfire.com)
  • Need to launch the campaigns
  • 2022 Sponsorship outreach

  • Steak
  • Smithfield
  • Oklahoma Joes
  • B&B – 1,000 Commitment to our ToY programs
  • The Butcher Shoppe
  • ShoreSmoke Seasonings
  • Big Jim Hudgins
  • Mac Talbert – Discussion
  • GrillBillies BBQ sponsorship discussion
  • Cotton Gin smoker – will be donating a Harvester model (raffle); would like to be a business sponsor as well
  • UDS parts – sponsor top 3 in backyard; give custom build kit to top 3 winners; will only commit to 2022 but want 1^st priority for overall backyard for a 2 year commitment starting next year; will provide small items/door prizes, etc.; would like to be a business sponsor as well
  • Inkbird Thermometers: working with Travis on sponsorship; will provide small items for door prizes, etc.
  • PK Grill will be raffled off – Greg will bring to banquet
  • MABA Cup Rules Revision (date for teams to declare they are attending)

  New Business

  1. Business member review / update on how we can steer members toward them; Chris would like to add a list of business members to website
  2. BOD member BIOS
  3. Clarification of Membership benefits
  4. Discussion on Call for Candidates – Lisa to start email blasts about soliciting candidates; Travis will start the social media blasts; nominations to run end of Oct. through Nov. 16ish
  5. Dues Discussion – 2023: Greg has started reviewing the data of members and their types of memberships
  6. George, Chris, Greg, Bill, Syd’s board terms are up this year

  Committee Reports and Action Item Discussion

  1. Membership Committee – Greg
     1. Backyard Subcommittee, new BY applications coming in for 2022
     2. Steak Subcommittee
  2. Publications Committee – Chris 
  3. Website/Technology Committee –
  4. Need to create a Backyard ToY standings page, old site is down; Correction dated Oct. 24: Backyard ToY webpage is up and is current
  5. Finance Committee – Bill
  6. Bylaws Committee – Greg
  7. Strategic Planning – Greg w/assistance from George (current Bylaws dictate this)
  8. Nominations Committee – Chris/Theresa

  Adjournment

  The meeting adjourned at 8:11 p.m.

  Motion to adjourn:  Theresa Bell; Second: Travis Murphy; motion passed unanimously

  Respectfully submitted,

  Shannon Turner, MABA Board Secretary

• BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 14, 2022

  10:44 am Comments Off on BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 14, 2022

  Board Members Present

  George DeMartz                     President

  Greg Boggs                             Vice President

  Shannon Turner                       Secretary

  Theresa Bell

  Travis Murphy

  Norris “Syd” Sydnor

  Chris Schriver

  Lisa Dommes                          Past President

  Board Members Absent

  Bill Jones                                Treasurer

  Dave Travis

  Call to Order

  George DeMartz called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m., noting the presence of a quorum.

  Reading of Mission Statement

  The Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association (MABA) is a social organization representing BBQ competitors, backyard cooks, BBQ judges and others united by love of America’s cuisine–BBQ! 

  MABA provides information to its members about BBQ and the BBQ industry, facilitates social events and contests and serves as the vehicle for camaraderie amongst BBQ enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region.

  George DeMartz read the Mission Statement.

  Approval of Minutes

  George DeMartz moved to approve the minutes of the August 3, 2022 Annual Meeting. Theresa Bell seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

  Unfinished Business

  1. Financial Review
  2. Need (1) Knife for the New York State Cup
  3. Banquet Committee:
     1. Committee met 3-4 weeks ago
     1. Venue discussion:  Manassas Moose Lodge; The Maine; Casino; want to make a decision before October meeting; Greg will add a group post on FB with Moose Lodge details once he has them; Mac has offered to cater the Maine; will we use Two Drummers or Mac?; Mac is not on approved caterer list for the Maine so need to determine if he is interested
     1. Need to do a “lessons learned”
     1. Planning needs to start now.
     1. Need to Vote/Discuss/Book a venue
  4. 2022 Sponsorship outreach
     1. Steak
     1. Smithfield – confirmed
     1. Oklahoma Joes
     1. Shore Smoke – Greg to talk to him for 2023
     1. B&B – 1,000 Commitment to our ToY programs – confirmed
     1. The Butcher Shoppe
     1. Big Jim Hudgins (SCA) – wants to donate for Steak ToY
     1. Mac Talbert – Wants to donate $5K – Greg/George to talk to Mac
     1. GrillBillies BBQ sponsorship discussion – George to talk to Joe for 2023
  5. MABA Cup Rules Revision (date for teams to declare they are attending)

  New Business

  1. Business member review / update on how we can steer members toward them; Chris would like to add a list of business members to website
  2. BOD member BIOS
  3. Clarification of Membership benefits
  4. Discussion on Call for Candidates. – 3^rd week of October; start adding social media posts indicating the call for candidates is coming; Expiring roles = 5 (George, Syd, Bill, Chris, Greg)
  5. Dues Discussion – 2023:  Determine levels of membership and assign dues amount for each level
  6. How to involve judges more:  Judge ToY; competition between MABA judges based on number of contests judged
  7. Bonfire Tshirt site:  Greg demonstrated Bonfire site for sales; will need a PayPal account set up to use: George DeMartz motioned to approve Bonfire; Shannon Turner seconded motion; carried unanimously; password will be agreed, and PayPal created; soft launch of Bonfire before end of year and then roll it out at banquet

  Committee Reports and Action Item Discussion

  1. Membership Committee – Greg
     1. Backyard Subcommittee, new BY applications coming in for 2022
     1. Steak Subcommittee
  2. Publications Committee – Chris; FB page, since Jan 2021 up 118% in likes and up 125% for followers; group page is up 142% in same period; backyard is up 193%; IG is up 157% in the same period; haven’t had a month yet where we have had a decline in likes/followers since tracking started; should we transform all ‘newsletter’ content to social media posts? 
  3. Website/Technology Committee –
  4. Need to create a Backyard ToY standings page, old site is down; Correction dated Oct. 24 that the Backyard ToY webpage is up and is current
  5. Finance Committee – Bill
  6. Bylaws Committee – Greg
  7. Strategic Planning – Greg w/assistance from George (current Bylaws dictate this)
  8. Nominations Committee – Chris/Theresa

  Adjournment

  The meeting adjourned at 9:06 p.m.

  Motion to adjourn:  George DeMartz; Second: Greg; motion passed unanimously

  Respectfully submitted,

  Shannon Turner, MABA Board Secretary

• BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES AUGUST 3, 2022

  October 24, 2022 10:21 pm Comments Off on BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES AUGUST 3, 2022

  Board Members Present

  George DeMartz                     President

  Greg Boggs                             Vice President

  Shannon Turner                       Secretary

  Bill Jones                                Treasurer

  Theresa Bell

  Dave Travis

  Norris “Syd” Sydnor

  Chris Schriver

  Lisa Dommes                          Past President

  Board Members Absent

  Travis Murphy

  Call to Order

  George DeMartz called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m., noting the presence of a quorum.

  Reading of Mission Statement

  The Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association (MABA) is a social organization representing BBQ competitors, backyard cooks, BBQ judges and others united by love of America’s cuisine–BBQ! 

  MABA provides information to its members about BBQ and the BBQ industry, facilitates social events and contests and serves as the vehicle for camaraderie amongst BBQ enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region.

  George DeMartz read the Mission Statement.

  Approval of Minutes

  George DeMartz moved to approve the minutes of the May 5, 2022 Annual Meeting. Shannon Turner seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

  Unfinished Business

  1. Start Committee meetings
  2. Budget approval
  3. Verify State Cups Ordered.  Previously from Crown Awards. 2021 from K2 Awards:  State cups are complete; Gunther will engrave another knife – George DeMartz to send reminder email
  4. Order business cards (Vistaprint), stickers (Sticker Mule) or fliers to hand out at contests/cook’s meetings, introducing MABA programs
  5. Order any flags, banners, etc. to be used by Board at contests to publicize MABA.
  6. Banquet Committee:
     1. Need to meet as a committee – Greg, Syd, George, Theresa; George DeMartz will set up monthly meeting
     1. Need to do a “lessons learned”
     1. Planning needs to start now
     1. Need to explore event sites:  Feedback has been received that the Main last year was good; should explore a few other sites
     1. Steel Images has cancelled on two events recently; need to investigate other vendors for trophies; Wise VA trophies mimicked the Steel Image trophies; Bill Jones to find out who supplied trophies to Almost Heaven contest to Chris Schriver and George DeMartz.
  7. 2022 Budget Finalization
     1. Summary will be reviewed
  8. 2022 Sponsorship outreach
     1. Steak:  Presentation deck is not ready yet; Travis will work through slides and update them; Greg will talk to a steak sponsor in Delaware – donation this year and full sponsor next year?
     1. Smithfield: $2500 for both backyard and pro ToY programs
     1. Oklahoma Joes
     1. B&B – $1,000 Commitment to our ToY programs
     1. The Butcher Shoppe
     1. Big Jim Hudgins 
     1. Mac Talbert – Approached George DeMartz in Wise, VA and wants to donate $5,000 to MABA for larger trophies for 6-10^th place for each category; can we space the donation out over several years? Greg, George and Chris to meet with Mac to discuss further.  George DeMartz will set up call.
     1. GrillBillies BBQ sponsorship discussion: Contact Joe to find out if he would sponsor the ToY backyard awards; George DeMartz will reach out to Joe. Recommend asking Joe to provide gift certificates.
     1. Gunther Wilheim: on board for sponsorship for banquet
  9. MABA Cup Rules Revision (date for teams to declare they are attending)

  New Business

  1. I’d like to bring David Dick into our Social Media scene:  Would like more call-outs for sponsors, contests on social media; Would like David to build posts and run them through Dave/Chris for review
  2. Review ToY teams/stats and post up mid-year posts: Chris Schriver can create posts
  3. Business member review / update on how we can steer members toward them: Chris Schriver wants to give business members shout-outs online providing links to their sites, etc.
  4. BOD member BIOS: If anyone wants to add to their bio, contact Chris Schriver
  5. Clarification of Membership benefits: Clearly show the benefits of membership on the website
  6. Dues Discussion – 2023: Need to discuss increasing dues
  7. Awards from Banquet that need to be distributed; it was agreed to mail awards to recipients
  8. Online raffle going well
  9. Greg Boggs showed the Bonfire tshirt site as an easy way to set up sales online; only way for payment to be provided back to MABA is via PayPal – any issue with this?  Lisa will send the MABA logo to Greg and Greg will set up and send the link to the board or share via next board meeting.  Create a shirt for 9:22 shot? 
  10. Syd raised the need to attract more judges to MABA; create a judges award at banquet? 

  Committee Reports and Action Item Discussion

  1. Membership Committee – Greg: First drop in members was observed this month
     1. Backyard Subcommittee, new BY applications coming in for 2022
     1. Steak Subcommittee
  2. Publications Committee – Chris
  3. Website/Technology Committee –
     1. Need to create a Backyard ToY standings page, old site is down; Standings have been updated using David Dick’s spreadsheet
  4. Finance Committee – Bill
  5. Bylaws Committee – Greg
  6. Strategic Planning – Greg w/assistance from George (current Bylaws dictate this)
  7. Nominations Committee – Call for nominations should occur in early November

  Adjournment

  The meeting adjourned at 8:56 p.m.

  Motion to adjourn:  George DeMartz; Second: Syd; motion passed unanimously

  Respectfully submitted,

  Shannon Turner, MABA Board Secretary

• BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES MAY 4, 2022

  10:20 pm Comments Off on BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES MAY 4, 2022

  Board Members Present

  George DeMartz                     President

  Greg Boggs                             Vice President

  Shannon Turner                       Secretary

  Bill Jones                                Treasurer

  Theresa Bell

  Travis Murphy

  Dave Travis

  Lisa Dommes                          Past President

  Board Members Absent

  Chris Schriver

  Norris “Syd” Sydnor

  Call to Order

  George DeMartz called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m., noting the presence of a quorum. George DeMartz read the Mission Statement.

  Approval of Minutes

  Greg Boggs moved to approve the minutes of the April 4, 2022 Annual Meeting. Theresa Bell seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

  General Business

  MABA Merchandise/Branding

  Business cards with QR codes and stickers should be ordered to hand out at contests to advertise MABA.  George DeMartz has generic business cards, etc. but no stickers.

  Sponsorship Outreach

  • Steak
  • Smithfield
  • Oklahoma Joes
  • B&B – 1,000 Commitment to our ToY programs
  • The Butcher Shoppe
  • Big Jim Hudgins
  • Mac Talbert
  • Grillbilllies – backyard?
  • Lancaster BBQ
  • Mason Dixon (maybe combine Grillbillies, Lancaster, Smokin’ Dude and Mason Dixon to sponsor Backyard)
  • UDS Parts?

  We need to prepare Slide Deck presentations for Smithfield, Oklahoma Joes, The Butcher Shoppe and GrillBillies BBQ around sponsorship.  I’d like to see this approached as a group effort.

  • Chris Schriver has had/developed a base Deck.  We all need to work together and tidy up our sponsorship for the 2022 season as we are behind this year.
    • George DeMartz will follow up with Chris Schriver to obtain the slidepack; will circulate it to Travis Murphy, Norris “Syd” Sydnor, Greg Boggs, Shannon Turner for comment and there will be separate meetings to discuss comments.

  Backyard ToY

  • Discussion (Backyard ToY Calculation Sheet)
    • Worked with David to create a tracking sheet for Backyard ToY.
      • George DeMartz spoke with David Dick and David agreed to take ownership of the tracking spreadsheet. 
    • If the BOD is amicable, he is willing to own it, and work with me to publish it within 1 – 2 weeks of contest completion.  George will interface with David directly on it.
  • A Code of Conduct should be created for MABA and make this part of renewal or sign-up.
  • As a back-up, Travis will continue to update the Backyard ToY points.  George will also maintain a copy in the MABA files.  If this activity is successful, we can consider using this for other categories, such as Steak.
  • Mid Summer Raffle (Need to Plan it)
    • Alpha Pizza oven – MABA will pay 1/2 of cost ($425) to Lancaster BBQ Supply, they are donating the other 1/2.
      • George will ask Lancaster to send an invoice to MABA
      • Will shipping cost extra?
      • How much to charge for tickets?  $5 each; 5 tickets for $20
    • Need to organize the raffle, put on website, gather some additional items, etc.
      • George motion to purchase the pizza oven at ½ cost and set up a raffle in June 1, raffle right before Labor Day holiday; Second:  Shannon; Motion passed
  • One Meat Contests
    • If we decide to add these to MABA, it is easy to add them to the Pro teams but has to be done manually for Backyard; will not recommend to implement this at this time

  Committee Reports

  Membership:

  • Memberships are up
  • Jon Wade’s membership had to be updated as it wasn’t showing him as a standing member; will move to business member next year
  • A member changed their name to something different from their name so wasn’t called out as a MABA team member

  Backyard ToY:  No update provided.

  Steak ToY: No update provided.

  Publications:

  • George will forward an update to BoD

  Website/Tech: 

  • George will forward an update to BoD

  Finance:

  • Had to readjust a deposit from one month to the next so it is in chronological order

  Bylaws:  No update provided.

  Strategic Planning:  No update provided.

  Nominations: No update provided.

  Contests:  No update provided.

  Adjournment

  The meeting adjourned at 7:51 p.m.

  Motion to adjourn:  George DeMartz; Second: Theresa Bell; motion passed unanimously

  Respectfully submitted,

  Shannon Turner, Board Secretary

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